1. Field of the Invention
In general, the present invention relates to protective sheath covers for wires, cables and the like. More particularly, the present invention relates to cable sheath covers that have closable seams that run the length of the sheath cover.
2. Prior Art Description
In digital videography, it is often desirable to add computer generated imagery to the actual image being recorded. The computer generated imagery may be used to add something to the recording that is not there or to remove something from the recording that is there. For example, during a television news network, computer generated imagery is commonly used to produce the maps behind a weather reporter. Likewise, computer generated imagery is also used to remove the sight of safety cables that may be attached to an actor during an action stunt scene.
In order to add or remove objects from actual recording, chroma key videography techniques are used. Chroma key videography is also known in the industry as color keying, color separation overlay, blue screening or green screening. In chroma key videography, objects viewed by the camera that are to be replaced with computer generated imagery are masked in a specific color, which is typically blue or green. Blue and green are most often used because they are the colors most distinguishable from human skin tones.
An actual image is recorded where the undesired objects are uniformly colored. The selected color is called the “keyed color”. The recorded image is processed by a computer program. If the computer detects the keyed color in a recorded frame, the computer identifies the pixels containing the keyed color and leaves those pixels blank. The computer then substitutes corresponding pixels from a computer generated image. The result is that the real image and the computer generated image are superimposed where the computer generated image takes the place of anything in the frame that is masked in the keyed color.
There are many complications that occur from using chroma key videography. For example, if a weather reporter is to stand before a blue screen, that reporter cannot be wearing blue clothing or have blue eyes otherwise these areas will be replaced by sections of the computer generated map when viewed onscreen. The problem becomes much more complex when filming movies or television shows where dozens of actors and hundreds of different objects may come in and out of a scene.
In order to minimize difficulties, many studios have both blue screen backgrounds and green screen backgrounds. The studios change the backgrounds depending upon the requirements of a scene. If objects to be recorded contain green, such as a bouquet of flowers, a blue screen background is used. Likewise, if objects containing blue are to be recorded, such as an actor in a blue shirt, then a green screen is used.
In a studio, it is relatively easy to change a backdrop from green to blue and vice versa. What is much harder is changing coverings on the numerous cables, wires, power cords, ropes and tethers that are abundant on a studio set.
The present invention is a uniquely formed cable sheathing device that can be used to cover any elongated object such as a cable, wire or rope. The cable sheathing device is reversible. One side of the sheath covering is green. The opposite side is blue. This enables objects such as cables and wires to be quickly and efficiently changed in color between blue and green so that they can match the changing background for a scene being recorded with a chroma key videography technique. The details of the present invention are described and claimed below.